Cooling of industrial heating apparatus is important to the operation and longevity of such apparatus which includes boilers, metallurgical furnaces, e.g., metal melting/smelting and refining furnaces, etc. For example, steel is made by melting and refining steel scrap in an electric arc furnace (EAF). The EAF is considered by those skilled in the art of steel production to be the single most critical apparatus in a steel mill or foundry. Consequently, it is of vital importance that the EAF remain operational for as long as possible.
As production increases furnace availability has become increasingly more important. Although water-cooled panels last longer than the brick refractory they replaced, the panels have serious problems with wear and are subject to damage. It is now common in the steel making industry to expect a critical breakdown of one or more of the panels within a few months of the furnace going on line.
When a breakdown occurs, the damaged water-cooled panels must be replaced as soon as possible. To make this repair in an EAF, the EAF must be taken out of production for unscheduled maintenance. This unscheduled downtime can have serious repercussions throughout the steel mill. For example, when the furnace is down, no molten steel is being produced by the steel mill which can cost as much as five thousand dollars per minute for the production of certain types of steel. Such interruptions also decrease production and significantly increase operating expenses. Also, making unscheduled repairs to the furnace panels constitutes a considerable percentage of maintenance expenses. A need, therefore, exists for promptly repairing the water-cooled furnace panel so that the furnace can return to operation quickly.